Ali Morgan
Ali Morgan is a Denver area educator who has spent more than two decades working to insure students have engaging, equitable, and supportive environments in which to thrive and grow. Ali is a graduate of Bates College (B.A. in Anthropology and Education) and moved to Colorado to pursue a graduate degree from the University of Denver in curriculum and instruction. For most of Ali’s 23 years in education, she worked for schools within the EL Education network, including The Odyssey School of Denver (a K-8 public charter) and RMSEL (Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning). Ali is also a skilled curriculum writer, mentor teacher, and facilitator of adult professional learning. A foundational underpinning of EL Education schools is the belief in three-dimensions of student achievement- including mastery of knowledge and skills, high-quality student work, and character. These beliefs allow students to become engaged experts, invested in their own growth, and invested in the world around them. This is what drew Ali to Paddington when seeking out preschool options for her own child. She sees Paddington as a similarly meaningful and joyful environment- one that cultivates students through play-based experiences, while also investing in teachers with exemplary experience who believe in the importance of play in childhood.
Ali currently works with teachers in Aurora Public Schools as an instructional coach. She is passionate about helping students see how much they matter in the world- their brilliance and effort make the world a better, more beautiful place- and they are capable of more than they know.
While Ali is an ocean-loving New Englander, she has now lived in Colorado longer than in Massachusetts or Maine where she grew up and attended college. She feels equally at home in the mountains of Colorado and loves adventures with her wife, daughter, and close friends. While she’s most happy biking, skiing, or camping (and especially enjoys escapades in her VW camper van), she also appreciates recharging with a healthy dose of downtime- taking care of her plants, playing games, baking, and reading.
Paddington’s vibrant, play-based, and supportive environment is simply captivating- for both the children who walk its’ colorful walls each day, and for the caregivers who are lucky enough to call the school an extended home for a few short years. As an educator, I wanted my own child to be surrounded by dedicated and caring teachers like those at Paddington. I wanted her to experience wonder, gratitude, and magic in her preschool years. I serve on the Paddington board because I want to help make it possible for other Denver area families to have similar early childhood experiences. I also hope my voice helps Paddington continue to attract and support the best possible preschool teachers to this exceptional environment.